15-Second Overview

The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. More and more people are being made destitute as fighting grinds on. WFP is struggling to meet the urgent food needs of close to 6 million displaced people in Syria and in neighbouring countries. Food operations are being run on a hand-to-mouth basis as funding is running out. For some refugees it has already run out.

WFP Response

WFP has resumed food assistance to 1.7 million Syrian refugees after a 72-hour fundraising campaign brought in enough funds to cover December.

Funds for the refugees came from governments, the private sector and the general public.

About 3 million Syrian refugees are now registered in neighbouring countries (Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey)

WFP is assisting more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees in these countries

Support to refugees is mostly through food e-cards, which allow families to choose their food. They also help the local economies.

Inside Syria, WFP is managing to provide food assistance to around 4 million people every month.

WFP's goal is to deliver food assistance to the whole of Syria, reaching anyone who needs it, regardless of where they are located.

The food rations include flour, cooking oil, pulses, sugar and some canned food.

Syria Quiz

Take a short quiz to learn more about the crisis in Syria and how the World Food Programme is responding to the needs of families fleeing conflict. By taking the quiz, you’ll provide nutritious food to a Syrian family for a day at no cost to you. Take quiz

Syria Background

Humanitarian needs are growing in Syria. The conflict has brought a sharp drop in domestic food production and inflation is up dramatically, further eroding the purchasing power of households across the country. Only 5 percent of farmers were able to harvest crops which matured last summer; 20 percent said they were completely unable to harvest crops. Find out more about WFP in Syria.

On The Ground

Hussein has never had any education

Hussein is a shy seven year-old. He goes to a shop in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut to buy food for the family, using WFP food vouchers. They took refuge in Beirut three years ago after fleeing the war in Syria. Hussein has never been to school. He was not yet attending when the war started and has not been able to get any education since.